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Latest News, Live Breaking News on India, Politics,SportsSat, 17 Feb 2018 06:57:06 +0000en-UShourly1https://wordpress.org/?v=4.9.4WhatsApp Flouts NPCI Guidelines With Custom UPI Implementation, Says Paytm Founderhttp://tllt.in/whatsapp-flouts-npci-guidelines-with-custom-upi-implementation-says-paytm-founder/
http://tllt.in/whatsapp-flouts-npci-guidelines-with-custom-upi-implementation-says-paytm-founder/#respondSat, 17 Feb 2018 06:57:06 +0000http://tllt.in/?p=7606New Delhi: With digital payments gaining traction among internet savvy users in the country, digital wallet and online portal Paytm finds itself in competition with the instant messaging app which has over a billion users. WhatsApp UPI recently made a splash in the country with its soft launch and has already stirred the pot with home-grown rival Paytm. On the issue of WhatsApp UPI not adhering to the core principles of UPI payments, Paytm founder Vijay Shekhar Sharma talks about fair play.

Issue with WhatsApp UPI

“It should not be called UPI since it is a custom implementation where the basic principles of UPI by NPCI are not implemented correctly. Despite WhatsApp UPI being hailed as a platform with great user experience, it flouts basic security principles. Take SBI buddy, ICICI pockets, Paytm, PhonePe, Google Tez where you have to log in to the platform to conduct transactions, but with WhatsApp, there is only a single factor of authentication,” Vijay Shekhar Sharma said.

According to sources, in the WhatsApp’s iOS beta app, one cannot send money to non-WhatsApp customers while in Paytm or other digital payment platforms, they can. Even in WhatsApp’s Android beta app, the option to send money to non-WhatsApp customers is well hidden behind six steps/screens, they added.

Indian companies versus foreign players

“There’s an apparent bias where Indian companies need to comply with Indian laws whereas foreign companies are not subject to the same. Servers for processing and storing data of Indians must be located within the country, but this rule does not appear to be the case for foreign players. They do not follow the guidelines of Indian policy. There needs to be a level playing field,” he added.

According to sources, BHIM-UPI branding isn’t used anywhere in WhatsApp while other digital payment platforms comply with the mandate. Any transaction in India needs three-step authentication to make online and mobile payment safe for the consumer.

Triggering the debate, Paytm founder Sharma had tweeted: “After failing to win the war against India’s open internet with cheap tricks of free basics, Facebook is again in play. Killing beautiful open UPI system with its custom close garden implementation. I am surprised, champions of open @India_Stack, let it happen!”. “Microsoft did this to open web standards. WhatsApp is doing this to UPI, openly in front of everyone,” Sharma added.

His remarks came after WhatsApp rolled out the testing phase of its digital payment feature in India, a first such move globally, which will be officially rolled out to over 200 million Indian users in the days to come.

]]>http://tllt.in/whatsapp-flouts-npci-guidelines-with-custom-upi-implementation-says-paytm-founder/feed/0It’s Ajay Devgn Versus Saurabh Shukla In The Second Poster Of Raidhttp://tllt.in/its-ajay-devgn-versus-saurabh-shukla-in-the-second-poster-of-raid/
http://tllt.in/its-ajay-devgn-versus-saurabh-shukla-in-the-second-poster-of-raid/#respondSat, 17 Feb 2018 06:52:07 +0000http://tllt.in/?p=7603Revelling in the blockbuster success of Golmaal Returns, Ajay Devgn is back to being a superhero without a cape once again! Revisiting the drama/thriller genre, the superstar turns an officer yet again, an Income Tax officer this time though. After dishing out some stellar performances as the uniformed officer in Zameer, Gangaajal, Singhamseries and others, Bollywood’s beloved policeman Ajay Devgn turns a hero without a uniform for his upcoming filmRaid. The first poster of the Raj Kumar Gupta directorial declares in its tag ‘heroes don’t always come in uniform’ and gives us all the Drishyam feels. While the first look featured Ajay sitting on a pile of black money, the second one is more of an Ajay Devgn and his superheroes versus Saurabh Shukla, the one who apparently defrauds the system in the film. The new poster sees the majority of the star cast in it.

Divided into two parts, the upper half of the poster features Ajay Devgn with his team, while the lower half shows Saurabh Shukla, the negative lead, lounging on a bed, looking disgruntled. A large number of people, presumably the members of his on-screen family, is shown standing behind him.

The makers of Raid decided to cash in on Ajay Devgn’s and Ileana D’cruz‘s sizzling chemistry seen in Baadshaho. While Milan Luthria film has Mere Rashke Qamar, Raid has Sanu Ek Pal and Nit Khair Manga by maestro Rahat Fateh Ali and both feature Ajay – Ileana’s magical romance.

The period drama is directed by Raj Kumar Gupta of Aamir and No One Killed Jessica fame. Set in the early 1980s with Lucknow as the background, the film revolves around a true incident of the longest raid in history. Raid will see Ajay Devgn revisit his Singham avatar, only this time he’d be without a uniform. Ileana plays Ajay’s supportive wife in the film. Directed by Raj Kumar Gupta Raid will release on March 16, 2018.

Off late there have been strong buzz about the sequel of 2014 superhit Ek Villain. Starring Sidharth Malhotra, Shraddha Kapoor and Riteish Deshmukh, the film had caught everyone’s frenzy with its songs and Riteish Deshmukh’s brilliant act of a serial killer. Such was the craze of the film that it went on to do close to Rs 100 crore business at the box office.

Along with the sequel buzz, there was also a report of Kriti Sanon being part of the film however, director Mohit Suri has quashed all those rumours.

Talking to Mid-day when he was asked about his upcoming film he said,

Yes, I am working with Aditya. It will be a thriller. My earlier films like Murder 2 (2011) and Kalyug (2005) were also in the same genre.

When further asked about the Ek Villain sequel, he said,

I’ve heard that I am making Ek Villain 2 and that I already have a bound script which has been given to Aditya. But nothing like that is happening. Ek Villain is a Balaji Telefilms property and they haven’t approached me yet.

Looks like it’s a bad news for all Sidharth Malhotra fans out there. His latest release Aiyaary has not only received bad reviews but also has been unable to set the cash register ringing, Ek Villain sequel would’ve worked wonders for him.

Virat Kohli, the peerless player of modern day cricket stroked a flawless hundred to anchor Team India to yet another impeccable win in the sixth ODI at SuperSport Park in Centurion against South Africa on Friday. The phenomenal athlete, en route, shattered some records which seem to be a routine for the 29-year-old player. Adding yet another Player of the Match and the Player of the Series award to his luminous rank, the India skipper conveyed, “I got 8-9 years left in my career. I want to make the most of it. Want to train as hard as I can. It’s a blessing from God that I’m healthy. I’m getting to play for my country. I get to captain my country. It’s an honor. I just look at it that way. I just keep my head down so I can give 120% for the team.”

India already bagged the six-match series winning the fifth ODI at St. George’s Park in Port Elizabeth, thus, vanquishing their first ever bilateral series win in the Rainbow Nation and being the first ever subcontinent contingent to do so. Squaring off in the mandatory last game, the Indian bowlers restricted the ‘Chariot of Proteas’ to 204, credits to newcomer Shardul Thakur who scalped 4 wickets conceding 52 runs. Chasing the total, the visitors lost Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan early, thus letting the swashbuckling captain bag the accolades.

Here is the list of records which Virat Kohli tumbled en route to his unbeaten 129:

1. Kohli equaled AB de Villiers’ record of 13 centuries as captain. He is behind Ricky Ponting who has 22 centuries to his name.

2. Kohli piled up the most runs in a bilateral series in SA. He has tallied 558 runs from six innings in this series.

3. Kohli also stacked the most runs in a bilateral series, toppling compatriot Rohit Sharma’s 491 runs against Australia in 2013. The India captain has 558 runs to his name from six innings this series.

4. Kohli became the only cricketer to pummel three centuries in a bilateral series. Sourav Ganguly has three tons to his name featuring in World Cup 2003 in SA. VVS Laxman also has three ODI hundred in Australia, VB series 2004.

5. Kohli also crossed 500 runs mark in just 47 days, which is the earliest by an Indian. Previously Sachin Tendulkar had the feat but in 69 days.

6. Kohli became the second ODI captain after Australia’s George Bailey to score 450-plus runs in a bilateral ODI series. Bailey had scored 478 runs in India in a 2013-14 series.

Team India created history in the Rainbow Nation by becoming only the second team ever to win five One-Day internationals against South Africa in their own home, as Virat Kohli once again led from the front with his unbeaten 129-run knock and fired the visitors to an 8-wicket win in Centurion. Kohli, who specifically thanked his wife Anushka Sharma for the performance he has put in throughout the tour, also saw the Bollywood actress congratulate him and the entire team for their magnificent 5-1 triumph over the Proteas, but in her own unique style.

Team India strode to a comfortable win at Centurion as they reached their victory target with 107 balls to spare after bundling South Africa for a meagre score of 204. The margin of series win also guaranteed the team the No. 1 spot in ICC ODI rankings, as Kohli also registered the record of scoring most runs in a 6-match ODI series.

The 29-year-old Indian captain, who got married to Anushka in the month of December last year, has seen his wife (then girlfriend) been criticized for the lows in his professional career, but he made sure that she gets the credit for his record-breaking series against Proteas.

“It’s been a roller-coaster tour till now. People who contribute off the field, they deserve a lot of credit as well. My wife who keeps me motivated deserves a lot of credit. She’s been criticized a lot in the past. But she’s one person who’s kept me going throughout the tour. You want to lead from the front with your performances,” Kohli had said in the post-match presentation.

Reacting to India’s win over South Africa, Anushka too posted a couple of Instagram stories – first one being on her husband’s century and the other one on the team’s 5-1 win – and proved once again what a staunch admirer she is of Indian cricket and of course Virat.

‘What a guy’, wrote Anushka again on the Instagram story for Virat and she has been doing that throughout the tour.

“I have got eight or nine years left in my career and I want to make the most of every day. It’s a blessing that I am healthy and getting to captain my country,” Kohli added at the post-match presentation ceremony.

“It was a day where I felt really good. Last game, I was not in the right kind of mindset. This is a beautiful place to bat under lights. That’s the idea behind bowling first. I like setting up for the short ball. It was a blessing in disguise, and they kept bowling short. I think the pitch got better to bat on under lights.”

“It has been a rollercoaster till now. They have shown great character – especially the two young spinners. Shikhar (Dhawan) at the top, Rohit. The way the series went augurs well for us. We are looking forward to the T20s. The tour is not over yet,” the skipper cautioned his team against taking anything for granted.

The Indian team now gears up for the 3-match T20I series, starting February 18.

Cape Town: South Africa will face “tough decisions” as it works to repair its economy after years of stagnation, new President Cyril Ramaphosa said in a sober address on Friday that sought to draw a line under the turbulent rule of his predecessor Jacob Zuma.

Hailing a “new dawn” a day after his inauguration, he promised to fight corruption, which had weakened the state-owned enterprises in Africa’s most industrialized economy, and to trim a bloated cabinet.

Ramaphosa said his government was committed to “policy certainty and consistency”, in contrast to Zuma, who was criticised for policy shifts and unpredictable cabinet changes that rocked domestic financial markets and confounded investors.

The 65-year-old was sworn in as head of state on Thursday after Zuma reluctantly resigned on orders of the ANC.

“This is the year in which we will turn the tide of corruption in our public institutions,” Ramaphosa said in his first State of the Nation address.

“We are determined to build a society defined by decency and integrity, that does not tolerate the plunder of public resources, nor the theft by corporate criminals of the hard-earned savings of ordinary people,” he added.

Ramaphosa’s election as president, which was unopposed in the parliament, has prompted a wave of optimism among South Africans hungry for change after nine years of economic stagnation and corruption scandals. Zuma denies all wrongdoing.

“Tough decisions have to be made to close our fiscal gap, stabilise our debt and restore our state-owned enterprises to health,” Ramaphosa said. He promised to make job creation a priority in 2018.

South Africa’s rand rallied soon after Ramaphosa started his address, trading near its three-year best.

Financial markets have rallied since Ramaphosa took over from Zuma as ANC leader in December, as investors warmed to his pledges to woo overseas investment.

He thanked Zuma for the way he had approached recent events. Facing waning electoral support for his party, Ramaphosa needs to avoid alienating ANC members still loyal to the 75-year-old former president.

In a direct appeal to poorer black voters – the core of the ANC’s support – Ramaphosa said he would aim to speed up the transfer of land to black people. Two decades after the end of apartheid, the ANC is under pressure to redress racial disparities in land ownership where whites own most of the land.

Ramaphosa said he pursued a policy of “radical economic transformation” that will speed up expropriation of land without compensation, but said this should be done in a way that increases agricultural production and improves food security.

Ramaphosa said mining had the potential for growth and jobs.

“We need to see mining as a sunrise industry,” he said.

South Africa’s mining industry has been a major employer and contributed 7.7 percent to the gross domestic product in 2016. The sector also accounts for 25 percent of exports in Africa’s most industrialized economy. South Africa’s GDP is estimated to grow by around 1 percent this year.

‘Same Old Speech’

Africa’s most developed economy needs faster economic growth if it is to reduce high unemployment – currently at 27 percent – and alleviate widespread poverty that has persisted since the end of white minority rule in 1994.

The leader of the opposition, and head of the Democratic Alliance party, Mmusi Maimane, said the president was reading from an old script. “We could have gotten bolder action today, but I heard more of the same stuff,” Maimane said.

The leader of the far-left Economic Freedom Fighters party (EFF), Julius Malema, said he welcomed the commitments to shrink the cabinet and take back the land. “He (Ramaphosa) has a lot of ideas but no plan of how to go about it, but let’s give the benefit of the doubt,” Malema said.

Ramaphosa, a former union leader who played an important role in talks to end apartheid, is expected to announce major cabinet changes in the coming days to replace Zuma acolytes in key portfolios who have been accused of mismanagement and implicated in corruption.

Ramaphosa, who will see out the remainder of Zuma’s presidential term until elections next year, faces an uphill battle to win public and investor support.

He ended his speech by quoting trumpeter and singer Hugh Masekela, known as the “father of South African jazz” who used his music in the fight against apartheid.

“In his song, “Thuma Mina”, he anticipated a day of renewal, of new beginnings. He sang: “I wanna be there when the people start to turn it around”,” Ramaphosa said. Most of the lawmakers there broke into song and danced.

]]>http://tllt.in/south-africas-cyril-ramaphosa-hails-new-dawn-warns-of-tough-decisions/feed/013 Russians Charged With Meddling To Help Donald Trump In 2016 Electionhttp://tllt.in/13-russians-charged-with-meddling-to-help-donald-trump-in-2016-election/
http://tllt.in/13-russians-charged-with-meddling-to-help-donald-trump-in-2016-election/#respondSat, 17 Feb 2018 06:31:08 +0000http://tllt.in/?p=7588Washington: Thirteen Russians and three Russian companies were charged on Friday with an elaborate plot to interfere in the 2016 US presidential election through social media propaganda aimed at helping Republican Donald Trump and harming the prospects of his Democratic opponent, Hillary Clinton, prosecutors announced on Friday.

The indictment, brought by the office of special counsel Robert Mueller, represents the most direct allegation to date of illegal Russian meddling during the election.

It says Russians created bogus Internet postings, posted online as American political activists and fraudulently purchased advertisements, all with the goal of swaying political opinion during the bitterly contested race.

The intent of the meddling, the indictment says, was to “sow discord in the US political system, including the 2016 presidential election.”

The indictment arises from Mueller’s investigation into Russian interference in the election and whether there was improper coordination between the Trump campaign and the Kremlin.

The charges are similar to the assessment of the US intelligence community, which months after the election described a Russian government effort to meddle in the election on Trump’s behalf.

The Russians “strategic goal” was to sow discord, the indictment says. By early-to-mid 2016, their efforts “included” supporting Trump’s campaign and disparaging Democrat Clinton. The charges say that Russians also communicated with “unwitting individuals” associated with the Trump campaign and other political activists to coordinate activities.

Trump himself has been reluctant to acknowledge the meddling. His spokeswoman, Sarah Huckabee Sanders, said Friday that Trump had been briefed on the indictment but there was no other immediate comment.

The charges are the latest allegations arising from Mueller’s probe and represent the first criminal case against Russians. Before Friday, four people, including Trumps former national security adviser and former campaign chairman, had been charged.

According to the indictment, the Internet Research Agency, a Russian troll farm, started interfering as early as 2014 in US politics, extending to the 2016 presidential election.

The defendants, “posing as US persons and creating false US personas,” operated social media groups designed to attract US audiences by stealing US identities and falsely claiming to be U.S. activists.

]]>http://tllt.in/13-russians-charged-with-meddling-to-help-donald-trump-in-2016-election/feed/0Paytm CEO Vijay Shekhar Sharma Earns Twitter Wrath For Criticising WhatsApp Payment Featurehttp://tllt.in/paytm-ceo-vijay-shekhar-sharma-earns-twitter-wrath-for-criticising-whatsapp-payment-feature/
http://tllt.in/paytm-ceo-vijay-shekhar-sharma-earns-twitter-wrath-for-criticising-whatsapp-payment-feature/#respondSat, 17 Feb 2018 06:16:36 +0000http://tllt.in/?p=7585Mumbai: Vijay Shekhar Sharma, the founder of India’s largest digital payments company Paytm, has criticised Facebok over the way they are doing business in India.

“After failing to win war against India’s open internet with cheap tricks of free basics, Facebook is again in play. Killing beautiful open UPI system with its custom close garden implementation. I am surprised, champions of open @India_Stack, let it happen!” Sharma had written in the tweet.

After failing to win war against India’s open internet with cheap tricks of free basics, Facebook is again in play.
Killing beautiful open UPI system with its custom close garden implementation.
I am surprised, champions of open @India_Stack , let it happen ! https://t.co/wIsNuF1AiB

WhatsApp trial service launched in India last week does not require a log-in session and Aadhaar-based payments. Owned by Facebook, WhatsApp boasts a monthly user base of 200 million in India and its entry into the country’s digital payment space threatens to upend the pecking order.

“Facebook is openly colonising our payment system and is customising UPI to their benefit. UPI was built as an India Stack, now some American monopoly arm-twists UPI for customer implementation,” Sharma told the Economic Times.

Sharma added that lack of a login makes WhatsApp payments a security risk, akin to giving an “open ATM” to everyone.

WhatsApp did not respond to Sharma’s remarks, other players such as MobiKwik and PayU flayed the Paytm founder.

Bipin Preet Singh, CEO and founder of Mobikwik tweeted, “All incumbents complaining about WhatsApp getting unfair advantage in its UPI implementation to further its business interests — Those who live in glass houses … there is clear record of private companies who got access first and exclusively when UPI was launched.”

All incumbents complaining about Whatsapp getting unfair advantage in its UPI implementation to further its business interests – “Those who live in glasshouses, ……. “ . There is clear record of private companies who got access first and exclusively when UPI was launched.1/n

Those complaining abt Whatsapp are the same folks who refuse to entertain neutral payment options(like @MobiKwik )on their own ecom websites/apps and instead promote only captive wallets. A standard of interoperability should incl wallet acceptance as well 2/n

Kunal Shah, co-founder of Freecharge, also backed the American company with this post on Twitter: “All companies threatened by WhatsApp payments are going to tag it as anti-national and try to pull it down as it is hard to win on merit against network effects of WhatsApp.”

All companies threatened by Whatsapp payments are going to tag it as anti national and try to pull it down as it’s hard to win on merit against network effects of Whatsapp.

This strategy worked for Patanjali and wonder if it will work for payment companies.

Meanwhile, Sharma’s comments did not go well with the Twitterati as well.

National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) has said it has allowed WhatsApp to beta test its payments service with limited user base of one million and low transaction limit, reported PTI on Friday.

“Currently, NPCI has given its consent to roll out WhatsApp BHIM UPI beta launch with limited user base of one million and low per transaction limit. Four banks will join the multi-bank BHIM UPI model in phases (in the coming weeks) and full feature product shall be released after the beta test is successful,” NPCI said in a statement.

“Nice ! hope full obligation of BHIM like security and tx data sovereignty too will be implemented before full launch,” Sharma tweeted.

Nice !
I hope full obligation of BHIM like security and tx data sovereignty too will be implemented before full launch. https://t.co/P8vjvkzkgz

New Delhi: Need coaches for a marriage party or a religious tour? Now, it can be done online, according to instructions issued by the railway board. According to a circular by the Railway Board, booking of special trains, coaches, saloons on full tariff rate (FTR) shall now be booked through a “single window booking system” of the Indian Railway Tourism and Catering Corporation (IRCTC).

“Henceforth, any individual or party seeking to book trains/coaches on FTR shall approach the IRCTC and it will book trains/coaches online on behalf of the individual or party”, stated the circular issued earlier this month.

Currently, to book such coaches or trains, the concerned party had to go to the chief booking supervisor or station master of the station from where the journey would commence and provide a written request containing journey details for FTR booking.

After depositing the money, they would be given a receipt with a unique FTR number printed on it. The process was cumbersome, officials said, which necessitated the change.

Mostly special trains or coaches were booked by travel agencies taking parties for religious tours, by MNCs taking employees for trips, schools booking for educational tours and even individuals travelling with a large contingent, officials said.

However, now, a charge of five percent on the total fare shall be levied, over and above a 30 percent service charge on such bookings.

The railway has fixed a security deposit of Rs 50,000 per coach and for special trains a minimum of 18 coaches will be charged. The entire transaction in the new online system will have to be digital, the board has said.

Shravanabelagola: Lakhs of devotees from all over the country and abroad are expected to gather at Shravanabelagola, the Jain pilgrimage centre, for Lord Bahubali’s ‘Mahamastakabhisheka’, a once in 12-year ritual, that begins on Saturday.

The ceremony is an integral part of the ancient and composite Jain tradition at the pilgrimage centre here.

Rituals related to the Mahamastakabhisheka, or head anointment ceremony, were set in motion on February 7 by President Ram Nath Kovind. The main ceremony will, however, begin from today and continue till February 25.

According to Charukiriti Bhattarak Swami, the chief of Jain Muth, which is based in Shravanabelagola, an estimated 30 to 40 lakh devotees are expected to attend the ceremony.

The 57 ft-high statue of Lord Bahubali, son of the first Jain tirthankara Adinath, located on Vindyagiri hill here, was carved from a single rock and is said to be the world’s tallest monolithic granite statue.

The 2018 ceremony is the 88th in the series that began in 981 A.D during the Ganga dynasty.

The Mahamastakabhisheka ceremony has been regularly performed every 12 years since then, much like the Kumbh.

As the Mahamastakabhisheka begins, consecrated water is sprinkled on the participants by devotees carrying 1,008 specially prepared vessels. The statue is then bathed and anointed with milk, sugarcane juice and saffron paste, and sprinkled with sandalwood, turmeric, and vermilion.

Offerings are made of petals, gold and silver coins and precious stones. During the last Mahamastakabhisheka in 2006, the ceremony’s finale included an enormous shower of flowers from a waiting helicopter.

Massive arrangements have been made for the grand event. As many as 12 temporary townships with all the basic amenities have been built, said B N Varaprasad Reddy, special government officer for the event.

“A separate township meant for Jain sadhus, called ‘Thyagi Nagar’, has been built. There are separate townships for volunteers, media persons and devotees. These places have been provided with underground drainage, drinking water, lighting and other basic essentials,” he said.

Thousands of tents have been erected around two kilometres from the two hillocks, dotted with numerous temples.

The government has earmarked Rs 300 crore for the entire event, officials said.

At least 5,000 police personnel and 2,000 home guards will be deployed in addition to plainclothes men for security duty.

On February 7, the president had said Shravanabelagola had long been a centre of religion, spirituality and Indian culture.

By building this figure, artisans breathed life into a lifeless granite rock. ‘Ahimsa Paramo Dharma’ (non-violence is the ultimate duty) is completely reflected in this image, Kovind said.

“The creepers carved on Bahubali’s statue are not just an indicator of his intense ascetic life, they also show how he was one with the nature and was away from pretences,” he said.

Located between the two hillocks of Vindyagiri and Chandragiri, Shravanabelagola has been a Jain pilgrimage centre for the past 2,500 years.